Shafted (the movie)

“Shafted” – is a state of mind of russian youth trapped in the concrete living blocks on the St. Petersburg outskirts. The film captures a brief episode of their weekly routine, which ends with ephemeral attempts to distract from the harsh society influences.

Actors weird dance movements in the abandoned elevator shaft reflect their effort to hide in the dark bottom where like in ancient observatory you can better see the light coming from above. This is the way of looking for the future when the present doesn’t affect you anymore. This is not a protest, this is the quest for a way out.

The film was shoot during the "САМАЯ БОЛЬШАЯ ★" party on the 1th of January 2016 in the Vertical Gallery, which atmosphere reminded us the architecture and mood of the suburbs in Russian and Eastern European cities. These are overwhelmingly gloomy places with monotonous and grey architecture, but at the same time they inspire mixed feelings of rejection and affection in people (like us) who grew up in such neighbourhoods.

These conflicted feelings served as a source of inspiration for the general mood and specific visual aesthetics of the NEUBAU installation (which was specially built for the exhibition and the party) as well as the New Year celebrations. With a nod to this, visitors were invited to bring in the new year on a stairway, reveling in the spirit and taste of the grim suburbs by drinking beer from a huge plastic bottles and dancing under NEUBAU in the abandoned elevator shaft.